Also by Brigid

Rocking the BoatAmazon | Barnes & Noble
Rocking the Boat recognizes the strong, committed women who helped to build the American labor movement. Through the stories of eleven women from a wide range of backgrounds, we experience the turmoil, hardships, and accomplishments of thousands of other union women activists through the period spanning the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the McCarthy era, the civil rights movement, and the women’s movement. These women tell powerful stories that highlight and detail their many roles as workers, trade unionists, and family members. They all faced difficulties in their personal lives, overcame challenges in their unions, and individually and collectively helped improve women’s everyday working lives. Maida Springer-Kemp came from New York City’s Harlem, Local 22 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, to represent the AFL-CIO in Africa. In Chicago, Alice Peurala fought for her job in the steel mill and her place in the steel workers’ union. Jesse De La Cruz organized farm workers in California, Esther Peterson, organizer, educator, and lobbyist, became an advisor to four U.S. presidents. In chapters based on oral history interviews, these women and others provide new perspectives and practical advice for today’s working women. They share an idealistic and practical commitment to the labor movement. As Dorothy Haener of the United Auto Workers and a founding member of the National Organization of Women said, “You have to take a look at how to rock the boat. You don’t want to spill yourself out if you can avoid it, but sometimes you have to rock the boat.” From these women we, too, learn how to rock the boat.

Work FamilyAmazon | Barnes & Noble | National Academies PressThe United States has seen a dramatic increase in the number of dual-earner and single-adult families. This volume reviews accompanying changes in work and family structures and their effects on worker productivity and employer practices. It presents a wide range of approaches to easing the conflicts between work and family, exploring appropriate roles for business, labor, and government. “Work and Family” offers up-to-date information, looking at how the family and the workplace arrived at their current relationship and evaluating the quality and the cost of care for dependents in this nation. The volume describes the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a working family and takes a critical look at the range of benefits provided, including existing and proposed employer programs for families. It also presents a comparative review of family-related benefits in other countries.

Beyond GenderAmazon | Barnes & NobleThe author of “The Feminine Mystique” argues that the time has come for women and men to move beyond identity politics and gender-based, single-issue political activism and create a new political movement that puts the lives and interests of people first. Includes many quotes from various policy experts, scholars, corporate and labor leaders, journalists, and political thinkers. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Oregon.

Pay EquityAmazon | Barnes & Noble | National Academies PressAre women paid less than men when they hold comparable jobs? Is there gender bias in the way wages are set? Or can wage differences between men and women be explained by legitimate market forces? “Pay Equity: Empirical Inquiries” answers these questions in 10 original research papers. The papers explore race and gender-based differences in wages, at the level both of individuals and of occupations. They also assess the effects of the implementation of comparable worth plans for private firms, states, and – on an international level – for Australia, Great Britain, and the United States.